Latest KFF Health News Stories
Temp Agencies See Opportunity In Health Law
Some employers — worried about the cost of health coverage — are eyeing staffing agencies to fill jobs. But these arrangements could leave gaps in the health law’s expanded coverage.
Large Companies Are Increasingly Offering Workers Only High Deductible Health Plans
Firms with 1,000 employees or more once offered a variety of coverage options, but a recent survey found nearly 15 percent today provide simply these plans and a savings account for medical expenses.
Connecticut Races To Reach Uninsured, Open Health Insurance Marketplace
Officials hope to ‘make history’ by signing up two-thirds of those without coverage after the marketplaces launch nationwide Oct. 1.
Ohio, Arkansas May Provide New Model For Insuring Low-Income Residents
Other states are watching as the federal government appears likely to allow the two states to use federal Medicaid dollars to purchase private coverage on their insurance exchanges.
From The State Capitals: The ACA At Three
Reporters on the ground in Colorado, Florida and Minnesota discuss the most significant developments to happen in their states since the law’s passage and what future challenges they see ahead.
Minnesota Governor Signs Bill Creating Health Insurance Marketplace
Starting in October, more than a million Minnesotans, including 300,000 uninsured, are expected to shop and sign up for health plans using the exchange, named MNSURE.
Small Businesses Pursue Health Law ‘Loophole’
Self-insurance, once the purview of only large companies, is becoming popular with small employers, too. But it could be a threat to the Affordable Care Act, since self-insured companies are exempt from many of the health law’s requirements.
In Florida, Medicaid Expansion May Be Dead, But Expanding Coverage Isn’t
Chances for the Florida Legislature approving an alternate plan that would accomplish the same goals are looking up.
Consumers Don’t View Curbing Costs As Their Job When Choosing Treatments, Study Finds
Researcher says she and colleagues were “surprised at how firmly and frequently people talked about not wanting cost considerations to factor into decision-making at all.”
Minnesota Senate Passes Exchange Bill
Much of the 12 hours of debate focused on whether or not industry officials could serve on the exchange’s board of directors.
Health Insurers See Big Opportunities In Health Law’s Medicaid Expansion
Medicaid managed care plans prepare for as many as 10 million new members in 2014– and billions in additional revenue.
Caveat For Contraceptive Coverage; Early Retirees May Get Cheaper Plans On Exchanges
Columnist answers readers’ questions about birth control provisions and subsidized coverage on state-based insurance marketplaces.
Key Long-Term-Care Insurer To Raise Women’s Premiums
Although the Affordable Care Act seeks to end health plans’ use of gender to set prices, the new rules don’t apply to policies for long-term care.
New Coverage May Spur Younger Women To Use Long-Acting Contraceptives
The health law specifies that birth control is a covered service in many plans ending the burden of a high up-front cost for IUDs and hormonal implants.
Federal Government To Run Insurance Marketplaces In Half The States
Friday deadline passes and states largely bypass the option to work with the federal government in setting up new online health insurance marketplaces that open for business Oct. 1.
Observation Units Can Improve Care But May Be Costly For Patients
Sometimes patients who are kept in the hospital to monitor their condition are not formally admitted and must pick up a bigger share of the cost.
Medicaid Transformation Watched Closely In Florida
The federal government gave the green light to Florida to put its long-term-care Medicaid patients into managed care. The big question now is: Will it work?
Q&A: How Does Marriage Affect Health Coverage For The Young?
Consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers a reader question about under-26 insurance coverage for newlyweds.
Insurance columnist answers readers’ questions about the new pregnancy benefits offered in the health overhaul, assurances that current insurance policies will be honored in the future and switching employer health plans.
Six Questions And Answers About The Obama Administration’s Birth Control Rule
The new regulations lay out a plan that will keep organizations that self-insure from having to pay for the coverage.
